Ordinance  No.  2000,  adopted 
by  the  City  Council 
July  12,  1912 


2 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 
ORDINANCE  NO.  2000. 


An  Ordinance  to  regulate  the  construction,  alteration, 
maintenance,  repair  and  removal  of  buildings  within 
the  City  of  Des  Moines. 

Be  It  Ordained  by  the  City  Council  of  the  City  of  Des 
Moines : 


Section  1.  No  person  shall  erect  or  place  any  building 
or  part  of  any  building  within  the  tire  limits  of  the  City 
of  Des  Moines,  as  now  or  hereafter  established,  or  make 
any  repairs  to  or  alterations  in  any  building  or  buildings 
without  first  having  obtained  a permit  therefor  from  the 
Building  Inspector  upon  examination  of  plans  and  specifi- 
cations which  shall  have  been  approved  by  the  Fire 
Marshal  and  the  Smoke  Inspector  in  so  far  as  they  relate 
to  the  requirements  for  smoke  prevention  and  safety  from 
fire,  copies  of  which  permit  shall,  immediately  after  be- 
ing granted,  he  filed  with  the  Fire  Marshal  and  the  Smoke 
Inspector,  and  the  applicant  for  such  permit  shall  there- 
upon file  a complete  set  of  plans  and  specifications  of 
such  building,  repairs  or  alterations  with  the  Building 
Inspector,  and  to  remain  on  file  until  such  improvements 
have  been  completed,  and  in  case  of  return  of  said  plans 
and  specifications  they  shall  be  accompanied  by  a certifi- 
cate that  the  work  has  been  completed  in  accordance, 
therewith  and  a record  thereof  kept  in  the  office  of  the 
Building  Inspector;  provided,  however,  that  in  case  the 
repairs  or  alterations  do  not  exceed  in  total  cost  the  sum 
of  Five  Hundred  ($500,00)  Dollars,  then  no  such  plans 
and  specifications  need  be  filed.  In  case  the  cost  exceeds 
Five  Hundred  ($500.00)  Dollars  then  such  plans  and 
specifications  shall  be  filed  as  above  required  and  shall 
state  in  addition  to  other  necessary  facts  the  amount  of 
increased  floor  load,  if  any,  that  is  to  be  carried,  the 
method  of  strengthening  the  walls  and  floors,  all  of  which 
shall  have  the  approval  of  the  Building  Inspector  before 
said  repairs  or  alterations  can  be  made. 

Sec.  2.  The  outer  and  partition  walls  of  all  such 
buildings  shall  conform  in  thickness  to  the  tables  set 
forth  in  Section  3 of  this  ordinance,  and  all  buildings  and 
ditions  thereto  hereafter  erected  within  the  fire  limits 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


3 


of  the  City  of  Des  Moines  shall  have  the  outer  walls  con- 
structed of  either  cement  stone,  brick,  stone  or  iron ; if  of 
iron  it  shall  be  supported  upon  steel  frame  or  support  of 
other  noncombustible  materials.  All  roofs  shall  be  cov- 
ered with  tile,  slate,  metal,  composition  of  gravel,  or  other 
noncombustible  material.  The  outside  walls  shall  be  on  a 
foundation  of  brick,  stone,  or  cement  stone,  not  less  than 
twelve  inches  in  thickness  for  buildings  of  the  warehouse 
class,  and  not  less  than  eight  inches  for  buildings  to  be 
used  for  residences  and  other  purposes. 

The  provisions  of  this  section  and  this  ordinance  shall 
apply  to  all  buildings  hereafter  constructed  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  City  of  Des  Moines ; provided, 
however,  that  the  Building  Inspector  shall  issue  permits 
to  all  persons  making  proper  application  therefor  for  the 
erection  of  frame  buildings  outside  of  the  fire  limits  to  be 
used  for  either  dwelling  or  business  purposes. 

Sec.  3.  The  enclosing  and  division  walls  of  all  build- 
ings within  the  fire  limits  shall  not  be  less  in  thickness  in 
inches  than  as  set  forth  in  the  following  tables,  the  figures 
in  the  first  column  designating  the  thickness  of  the  first 
story  wall,  etc. 

Walls  for  Warehouse  Class. 

The  expression,  “ Walls  for  warehouse  class,  ” shall 
be  taken  to  mean  and  include  walls  for  the  following 
buildings : 

Armories,  barns,  breweries,  carriage  houses,  churches, 
cooperage  shops,  court  houses,  factories,  foundries,  gar- 
ages, jails,  libraries,  light  and  power  houses,  machine 
shops,  markets,  mills,  museums,  observatories,  office 
buildings,  police  stations,  printing  houses,  public  assemb- 
ly buildings,  pumping  stations,  railroad  buildings,  refrig- 
erating houses,  slaughter  houses,  stables,  stores,  theatres, 
(warehouses,  wheelwright  shops. 

For  buildings  hereafter  erected  in  the  warehouse  class, 

1 25  feet  or  less  in  width,  between  the  walls  or  bearings, 
the  minimum  thickness  of  all  independent  surroundings 
or  dividing  walls  in  the  same  carrying  the  loads  of  floors 
shall  be  made  in  accordance  with  the  following  tables : 


4 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


Height. 


Warehouse  Class. 

Basement — Stories. 

0123456789  10 


20  16  16 
20  20  16  16 


One  story 16  12 

Two  stories  16  12  12 

Three  stories 16  16  12  12 

Four  stories 20  16  16  16  12 

Five  stories  ......  24  20  16  16  16  12 

Six  stories 28  24  20  20  20  16  16 

Seven  stories 28  24  24  20  20 

Eight  stories 32  24  24  24  20 

Nine  stories 32  28  24  24  24  20  20  20  16  16 

Ten  stories 32  28  28  24  24  24  20  20  20  16  16 

Walls  for  Dwelling  House  Class. 

The  expression,  Walls  for  dwelling  house  class,” 
should  he  taken  to  mean  and  include  walls  for  the  fol- 
lowing buildings : 

Apartment  houses,  apartment  hotels,  asylums,  club 
houses,  convents,  dormitories,  dwellings,  hospitals,  hotels, 
laboratories,  lodging  houses,  parish  buildings,  schools, 
studios,  tenements. 

For  buildings  hereafter  erected  in  the  dwelling  house 
class,  the  minimum  thickness  of  all  independent  surround- 
ing and  dividing  walls  in  the  same,  carrying  the  loads  of 
floors  and  roofs,  shall  be  made  in  accordance  with  the 
following  table : 


Five 


ny 


en 


12 

12 

12 

12 

12 

16 

12 

12 

12 

16 

16 

12 

12 

12 

20 

16 

16 

12 

12 

12 

20 

16 

16 

16 

12 

12 

12 

24 

20 

20 

16 

16 

12 

12 

12 

24 

20 

20 

20 

16 

16 

12 

12 

12 

28 

24 

20 

20 

16 

16 

16 

12 

12 

28 

24 

24 

20 

20 

20 

16 

16 

16 

Curtain  Walls. 

1.  A curtain  wall  is  a wall  which  does  not  support 
floor  or  roof  loads,  and  may  be  used  either  as  an  interior 
or  exterior  wall. 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


5 


2.  All  party  walls  of  skeleton  construction  shall  have 
curtain  walls  of  brick,  not  less  than  twelve  inches  thick. 

3.  All  outside  walls  of  skeleton  construction  or  of 
reinforced  concrete  piers  and  girders  shall  have  curtain 
walls  which  may  be  of  masonry,  terra  cotta,  concrete  or 
reinforced  concrete.  If  built  of  masonry  or  terra  cotta, 
such  walls  must  not  be  less  than  twelve  inches  thick,  and 

if  built  of  concrete  not  less  than  six  inches  thick. 

■ 

Provided  that  no  panel  of  said  wall  between  steel  or 
reinforced  concrete  members  of  structure  shall  be  more 
than  20  feet  in  height  by  25  feet  in  width. 

Curtain  walls  shall  be  thoroughly  anchored  to  the  iron 
| or  steel  or  reinforced  concrete  structural  members,  and 
whenever  the  weight  of  such  walls  rests  upon  beams,, 

| piers  or  columns,  such  beams,  piers  or  columns  shall 
be  made  strong  enough  in  each  story  to  carry  the  weight 
of  wall  resting  upon  them  without  reliance  upon  the  sup- 
port of  walls  below  them. 

4.  A curtain  wall  of  masonry  enclosed  laterally  be- 
tween iron,  steel  or  reinforced  concrete  columns  without 
intermediate  supports  shall  be  not  less  than  sixteen 
inches  thick  for  the  lower  60  feet  above  the  lowest  ground 
line,  and  twelve  inches  thick  from  60  feet  height  upward, 
not  to  exceed  a total  height  for  both  thicknesses  of  125 
feet. 

Provided  that  said  curtain  wall  shall  not  exceed  20 
feet  in  width  between  iron,  steel  or  reinforced  concrete 
columns. 

When  the  above  walls  are  used  for  party  walls  in  non- 
fireproof  buildings  the  ends  of  the  beams  shall  rest  on 
corbled  ledges,  or  shall  be  staggered;  or  the  walls  shall 
be  increased  in  thickness,  so  that  all  joists,  beams  and 
other  woodwork  shall  have  at  least  four  inches  of 
masonry  or  brick  work  between.  When  used  for  bearing 
party  walls  in  fireproof  buildings  no  portion  of  the  walls 
shall  be  less  than  the  full  thickness  given  for  outside 
walls,  except  that  when  each  story  or  series  of  stories 
not  to  exceed  the  heights  given  below  shall  be  carried  on 
steel  or  concrete  lintels.  If  any  story  exceeds  the  height 
as  stated  in  the  following  section  the  thickness  of  walls 
shall  be  increased  as  stated  in  such  section. 


6 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


Clear  Span  Thickness. 

If  there  is  to  be  a clear  span  of  over  twenty-five  feet 
between  the  bearing  walls,  such  walls  shall  be  four  inches 
thicker  than  in  this  section  specified,  for  every  twelve 
and  one-half  feet,  or  fraction  thereof,  that  said  walls,  are 
more  than  twenty-five  feet  apart,  or  shall  have  instead 
of  the  increased  thickness  such  piers  or  buttresses  as,  in 
the  judgment  of  the  Building  Inspector,  may  be  neces- 
sary. 

Height  of  Stories. 

Sec.  4.  The  height  of  all  stories  for  all  given  thick- 
nesses of  walls  shall  not  exceed : 

One  story — 16  feet  in  the  clear. 

Two  stories — 14  feet  in  the  clear. 

Three  stories — 12  feet  in  the  clear. 

Four  and  upper  stories — 11  feet  in  the  clear. 

And  if  any  story  exceed  the  foregoing  heights,  the 
walls  of  any  such  story,  and  all  walls  below  that  story 
shall  be  increased  four  inches  in  thickness  for  each 
multiple  of  the  height  given. 

Defining  Height  of  Story. 

The  height  of  the  story  shall  be  the  perpendicular  dis- 
tance from  the  top  of  the  finished  floor  in  one  story  to 
the  under  side  of  the  finished  ceiling  in  the  same  story. 

Meaning  of  Stories. 

The  first  story  shall  be  taken  to  mean  the  story  of 
the  floor  which  is  first  above  the  basement.  The  upper 
story  shall  be  taken  to  mean  the  stories  the  floors  of 
which  are  above  the  first  story  numbered  in  regular  suc- 
cession counting  upwards. 

Meaning  of  Basement  and  Cellar. 

A basement  shall  be  taken  to  mean  that  portion  of  a 
building  the  floor  of  which  is  below  the  curb  level  at  the 
center  of  the  front  of  the  building,  and  not  more  than 
three-fourths  of  the  height  of  said  portion  measuring 
from  floor  to  ceiling.  A cellar  shall  be  taken  to  mean  the 
lowest  portion  of  a building,  the  floor  of  which  is  below 
the  curb  level  at  the  center  of  the  front  of  the  building, 


CITY  OF  BES  MOINES 


7 


more  than  three-fourths  of  height  of  said  portion  meas- 
uring from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling. 

Roofs. 

All  mansard  roofs  and  all  others  having  a pitch  of  one- 
third  or  over  shall  be  considered  a story. 

Sec.  5.  Division  walls  shall  be  constructed  of  brick, 
stone,  or  cement  stone,  or  iron,  and  shall  extend  from 
the  extreme  front  to  the  extreme  rear  of  the  enclosing 
walls,  and  shall  extend  at  least  three  feet  above  the  roof. 

Sec.  6.  All  joists  or  timbers  entering  a party  wall  or 
a division  wall  from  the  opposite  sides  shall  have  at  least 
four  inches  of  solid  brick  work,  stone  or  cement  stone 
between  the  ends  of  such  joists  or  timbers. 

Sec.  7.  All  gutters  shall  be  made  of  metal. 

Sec.  8.  No  cornice  shall  be  made  of  wood,  except  in 
dwelling  houses  that  are  not  more  than  two  stories  high. 

Sec.  9.  No  wall,  nor  any  part  of  any  wall,  shall  be 
built  upon  any  wooden  beam,  girder  or  support.  No 
chimney  shall  be  built  upon  wood  work  but  shall  be  built 
from  the  ground  up  or  rest  on  masonry  walls. 

Sec.  10.  All  chimneys  for  residences  shall  be  con- 
structed of  sand-brick  of  medium  burnt  clay  brick  to 
the  roof  line,  and  of  hard,  well  burnt  brick  above 
the  roof  line,  and  all  chimneys  shall  extend  at  least 
three  feet  above  the  highest  point  thereof;  and  all 
chimneys  for  power  or  pressure  heating  plants  shall 
comply  as  to  height  and  area  with  the  requirements 
of  the  Smoke  Inspector.  All  joints  shall  be  struck 
smooth  inside  and  out  and  shall  be  thoroughly  filled 
with  mortar.  All  chimneys  shall  be  constructed  as 
nearly  perpendicular  as  possible  without  square  offsets 
and  shall  be  wholly  free  from  wood  work.  Chimneys 
for  stoves  shall  be  at  least  8x8  inches,  inside  measure- 
ment. All  chimneys  shall  either  have  the  exterior  walls 
at  least  eight  inches  thick  or  shall  be  lined  with  well 
burnt  clay  or  terra  cotta  chimney  lining  set  up  with 
close-fitting  joints  in  fire  clay,  and  all  chimneys  for  low 
pressure  heating  plants,  or  furnaces  shall  be  constructed 
of  medium  burnt  brick  to  be  laid  in  cement  mortar  of 
first  class  with  all  joists  well  filled  with  mortar  and 


8 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


struck  smooth  inside  and  out.  Any  person  violating  this 
section  shall  tear  down  such  chimneys  and  rebuild  them 
from  the  bottom. 

Sec.  11.  No  flue  or  chimney  shall  be  less  than  eight 
inches  in  its  smallest  inside  measurement.  When  a 
chimney  contains  more  than  one  flue  the  flues  shall  be 
separated  by  at  least  four  inches  of  solid  brick  work. 
Every  flue  shall  be  provided  at  its  lowest  extremity  with 
an  opening  for  the  removal  of  soot,  and  all  such  open- 
ings shall  be  provided  with  metal  stoppers  or  soot- 
drawers. 

Sec.  12.  All  open  fire  places  or  grates  shall  have  the 
hearth  laid  on  trimmer  arches  of  brick  or  iron  girders. 

Sec.  13.  All  elevator  shafts  shall  be  enclosed  with 
brick  walls,  the  uppermost  part  for  50  feet  being  not  less 
than  eight  inches  thick  and  increasing  the  lower  part  by 
four  inches,  or  with  a suitable  frame  work  of  iron  and 
burnt  clay  filling  or  with  such  other  fireproof  material 
and  form  of  construction  as  in  the  opinion  of  the  Fire 
Marshal  shall  be  equally  good,  and  all  door  openings 
shall  be  hung  with  doors  of  metal  frames  and  wire  glass, 
and  no  staircase  or  other  part  of  the  building  shall  be 
inside  of  the  said  elevator  wall.  No  wooden  signs  shall 
be  placed  on  any  building  above  the  sills  of  the  second 
story  window. 

Sec.  14.  It  shall  be  unlawful  to  repair  or  alter  any 
frame  building  within  the  fire  limits  of  the  City  of  Des 
Moines  if,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Fire  Marshal,  such  build- 
ing has  been  damaged  from  any  cause  or  decayed  to  the 
extent  of  50  per  cent  of  the  cost  of  a similar  new  build- 
ing, and  any  such  building  shall  be  torn  down  and  re- 
moved if  in  a dangerous  condition  when  so  ordered  by 
the  Fire  Marshal;  provided,  however,  that  any  frame 
building  not  damaged  from  any  cause  or  decayed,  in  the 
judgment  of  the  Fire  Marshal,  to  the  extent  of  50  per 
cent  of  the  cost  of  a similar  new  building  may  be  re- 
paired or  altered ; provided,  however,  that  no  such 
frame  building  shall  be  altered  for  use  in  any  manner 
by  this  ordinance  prohibited  for  new  buildings  of  similar 
construction. 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


9 


Sec.  15.  Whenever  it  becomes  necessary  to  tear  down 
and  remove  a building,  as  provided  in  the  preceding  sec- 
tion, it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Fire  Marshal  to  give  to  the 
owner,  or  his  agent,  notice  in  writing  that  unless  such 
owner  tear  down  and  remove  such  building  within  twenty 
days  from  the  service  of  such  notice  the  same  will  be 
torn  down  and  removed  by  or  under  the  direction  of  said 
Fire  Marshal.  In  case  neither  the  owner  nor  his  agent 
can  be  found  within  the  City  of  Des  Moines  or  County  of 
Polk,  then  such  notice  may  be  served  upon  the  occupant 
of  the  building,  and  if  the  building  is  unoccupied,  then  it 
will  be  a sufficient  service  of  said  notice  to  post  the  same 
on  the  outside  of  said  building.  If  the  owner,  after  such 
service  of  notice  as  above  provided,  fails  to  tear  down  and 
remove  such  building  within  the  time  specified,  then  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Fire  Marshal  to  proceed  to  tear 
down  and  remove  such  building,  and  he  may  call  upon 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Department  of  Streets  and 
Public  Improvements  for  such  assistance  as  he  may  need 
to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  this  section.  The  expense  and 
cost  of  such  work  upon  the  part  of  the  Fire  Marshal  and 
the  Department  of  Streets  and  Public  Improvements  shall 
be  assessed  against  the  property  upon  which  said  build- 
ing was  erected,  and  collected  in  the  same  manner  as  is 
provided  by  law  for  the  assessment  and  collection  of  the 
cost  and  expense  of  other  public  improvements  chargeable 
against  abutting  property. 

Sec.  16.  It  shall  be  unlawful  to  remove,  or  cause  to  be 
removed,  any  frame  building  situated  within  the  fire 
limits  to  any  other  location. 

Sec.  17.  All  buildings  of  whatever  description  here- 
after erected  or  repaired  in  the  City  shall  be  done  under 
the  supervision  and  inspection  of  the  Fire  Marshal  in  so 
far  as  it  may  be  necessary  to  secure  greater  safety  from 
destruction  by  fire,  and  to  this  end  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
any  person  desiring  to  build  or  repair  any  buildings  to 
apply  for  a permit,  and  to  follow  such  reasonable  instruc- 
tions as  the  Fire  Marshal  may  give  regarding  the  height 
and  size  of  chimneys,  flues,  the  protection  of  all  furnaces, 
heating  pipes,  and  all  other  arrangements  desired  to  be 
used  in  heating  such  building,  or  in  creating  a heat  for 
mechanical  or  manufacturing  purposes. 


10 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


Sec.  18.  No  buildings  of  any  description  containing 
new  plants  or  any  reconstruction  of  old  plants  for  produc- 
ing power  and  heat,  or  either  of  them,  either  for  sale  oi 
manufacturing  purposes,  or  any  new  chimney,  furnace 
or  fireplace  connected  with  such  building  and  plant,  or 
any  steam  plant  shall  be  hereafter  erected  or  maintained 
in  the  City  until  plans  and  specifications  of  such  plant, 
chimney,  furnace,  fireplace  or  steam  plant,  as  the  case 
may  be,  have  been  filed  in  the  office  of  and  approved  by 
the  Smoke  Inspector  and  a permit  issued  by  him  therefor. 
All  controversies  as  to  the  sufficiency  of  such  plans  and 
specifications  and  provisions  made  therein  for  fuel  com- 
bustion shall  be  settled  and  determined  as  provided  in 
Section  7 of  Ordinance  No.  1870,  known  as  the  ‘ ‘ Smoke 
Ordinance.  ’ 9 

Sec.  19.  The  dead  loads  in  all  buildings  shall  consist  of 
the  actual  weight  of  walls,  floors,  roofs,  partitions  and  all 
permanent  construction. 

The  live  and  variable  loads  shall  consist  of  all  loads 
other  than  dead  loads. 

Every  floor  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  bear  safely 
the  weights  to  be  imposed  thereon  in  addition  to  the 
weight  of  the  materials  of  which  the  floor  is  composed ; if 
to  be  used  as  a dwelling  house,  tenement  house,  apartment 
house,  hospital,  hotel  or  lodging  house,  each  floor  shall  be 
of  sufficient  strength  in  all  its  parts  to  bear  safely  upon 
every  square  foot  of  its  surface  not  less  than  fifty  pounds ; 
if  to  be  used  for  office  purposes,  not  less  than  seventy-five 
pounds  upon  every  square  foot  above  the  first  floor,  and 
for  the  latter  floor  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds ; 
. if  it  is  to  be  used  as  a school  or  as  a place  of  instruction, 
not  less  than  sixty-six  pounds  in  rooms  with  fixed  seats 
and  in  halls  and  corridors  not  less  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds  upon  every  square  foot ; if  to  be  used  for 
stable  or  carriage  house  purposes,  not  less  than  eighty- 
five  pounds  upon  every  square  foot;  if  to  be  used  as  a 
place  of  public  assemblage,  not  less  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds  upon  every  square  foot ; if  to  be  used 
for  ordinary  stores,  light  manufacturing  and  light  stor- 
age, not  less  than  one  hundred  pounds  upon  every  square 
foot ; if  to  be  used  as  a store  where  heavy  materials  are  to 
be  kept  or  stored,  warehouse,  factory  or  other  manufac- 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


11 


taring  or  commercial  purpose,  not  less  than  two  hundred 
pounds  upon  every  square  foot.  All  calculations  for  the 
requirements  of  this  section  shall  be  based  upon  Part 
Twenty-three  (23)  of  the  Building  Code  recommended  by 
the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters, 

The  strength  of  factory  floors,  intended  to  carry  run- 
ning machinery,  shall  be  increased  above  the  minimum 
given  in  this  section  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  vibra- 
tory motion  liable  to  be  transmitted  to  the  floor,  as  may  be 
required  by  the  Building  Inspector. 

The  roofs  of  all  buildings  shall  be  proportioned  to  bear 
safely  thirty  pounds  upon  every  square  foot,  measured 
horizontally,  in  addition  to  the  weight  of  the  materials 
composing  the  same. 

For  sidewalks  over  areaways,  the  live  loads  shall  be 
taken  to  be  three  hundred  pounds  upon  every  square  foot, 
measured  on  a horizontal  plane. 

Footings  and  foundations  shall  be  constructed  of  stone, 
hard  burned  brick  or  concrete,  of  sufficient  thickness  and 
size  as  determined  by  good  building  practice,  and  shall 
be  proportioned  to  the  actual  load  they  will  have  to  carry 
in  the  completed  and  occupied  building,  as  follows : 

Warehouse  and  factory  buildings  shall  be  proportioned 
to  carry  the  full  dead  load  and  the  full  live  load. 

Stores  and  buildings  for  light  manufacturing  shall  be 
proportioned  to  carry  the  full  dead  load  plus  sixty  (60) 
per  cent  of  the  live  load. 

Churches,  school  houses,  and  places  of  public  amuse- 
ment shall  be  proportioned  to  carry  the  full  dead  load 
plus  fifty  (50)  per  cent  of  the  live  load. 

Office  buildings,  hotels,  dwellings,  apartment  houses, 
lodging  houses  and  stables,  shall  be  proportioned  to 
carry  the  full  dead  load  plus  not  less  than  thirty  (30) 
per  cent  of  the  live  load. 

Vertical  supports  shall  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  bear 
safely  the  weight  of  the  portion  of  each  and  every  floor 
depending  upon  it  for  support  in  addition  to  the  weight 
required,  as  before  stated,  to  be  supported  safely  upon 
said  portion  of  said  floors. 


12 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


For  the  purpose  of  determining  the  carrying  capacity 
of  footings  in  dwellings,  office  buildings,  stores,  stables, 
public  buildings  and  factories,  when  over  five  stories  in 
height,  reduction  of  the  live  loads  shall  be  permissable  as 
follows:  For  the  roof  the  full  live  loads  shall  be  used; 
for  each  succeeding  lower  floor,  it  shall  be  permissible  to 
reduce  the  live  load  by  five  (5)  per  cent  until  fifty  (50) 
per  cent  of  the  live  load  fixed  by  this  section  is  reached, 
when  such  reduced  loads  shall  be  used  for  all  remaining 
floors. 

Sec,  20.  All  that  district  west  of  the  Des  Moines  river, 
south  of  the  center  of  Grand  avenue,  east  of  the  center  of 
Tenth  street  and  north  of  the  center  of  Vine  street,  shall 
be  known  as  the  congested  district.  In  the  congested  dis- 
trict there  shall  hereafter  be  erected  no  building  of  three 
stories  or  more  of  other  than  fire  proof  construction. 
Fire  proof  buildings  shall  be  constructed  with  walls  of 
brick,  stone,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron  or  steel  in 
which  wood  beams  or  lintels  shall  not  be  placed,  and  in 
which  the  floors  and  roofs  shall  be  constructed  with  rolled 
wrought  iron  or  steel  floor  beams,  spaced  not  more  than 
five  feet  on  centres,  for  stores,  warehouses  and  factory 
buildings,  and  for  all  other  buildings  not  more  than  eight 
feet  on  centres,  and  otherwise  so  arranged  as  to  spacing 
and  length  of  beams  that  the  load  to  be  supported  by 
them,  together  with  the  weights  of  the  maerials  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  said  floors,  shall  not  cause  a great- 
er deflection  of  the  said  beams  than  one-thirtieth  of  an 
inch  per  foot  of  span  under  the  total  load.  The  beams 
shall  be  tied  together  at  intervals  of  not  more  than  eight 
times  the  depth  of  the  beam  with  suitable  tie-rods. 

Between  the  floor  and  roof  beams  shall  be  placed  brick 
arches  springing  from  the  lower  flanges  of  the  steel 
beams,  or  the  spaces  between  the  beams  may  be  filled 
with  hollow  tile  arches  of  hard-burnt  clay  or  porous  terra- 
cotta, or  arches  of  Portland  cement  concrete,  plain  or  re- 
inforced with  metal,  or  such  other  fireproof  composition 
may  be  used,  provided  that  in  each  and  all  cases  the 
strength  and  method  of  construction  shall  conform  to 
good  building  requirements. 

The  stairs  and  staircase  landings  shall  be  constructed 
of  brick,  stone,  Portland  cement  concrete,  iron  or  steel, 
or  a combination  of  these  materials. 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


13 


No  woodwork  or  other  inflammable  material  shall  be 
used  in  any  of  the  partitions,  furrings  or  ceilings  in  any 
snch  fireproof  buildings,  excepting,  however,  that  when 
the  height  of  the  building  does  not  exceed  eight  stories, 
not  more  than  one  hundred  feet,  the  doors  and  windows 
and  their  frames  and  trims,  the  casings,  the  interior 
finish  when  filled  solidly  at  the  back  with  fireproof  ma- 
terial, and  the  floor  boards  and  sleepers  directly  there- 
under, may  be  of  wood,  but  the  space  between  the  sleep- 
ers shall  be  solidly  filled  with  fireproof  materials  extend- 
ing up  to  the  underside  of  the  floor  boards. 

When  the  height  of  a fireproof  building  exceeds  eight 
stories,  or  more  than  one  hundred  feet,  the  floor  surfaces 
shall  be  of  stone,  cement,  tiling  or  similar  incombustible 
material.  All  outside  window  frames  and  sash  shall  be  of 
metal. 

The  inside  window  frames  and  sash,  doors,  trim  and 
other  interior  finish  may  be  of  metal  or  of  wood  covered 
with  metal  or  of  such  other  incombustable  material  that 
may  be  approved  by  the  Commissioner  of  Buildings. 

All  hall  partitions  or  permanent  partitions  between 
rooms  in  fireproof  buildings  shall  be  built  of  fireproof 
material  and  shall  not  be  started  on  wood  sills,  nor  on 
wood  floor  boards,  but  be  built  upon  the  fireproof  con- 
struction of  the  floor  and  extend  to  the  fireproof  beam 
filling  above. 

But  this  shall  not  preclude  the  use  of  wood  block  under 
each  iron  upright  or  stud  in  partitions  constructed  of 
iron  uprights  and  lathed  with  iron,  or  filled  in  solidly 
between  the  iron  studs  or  uprights  with  approved  fire- 
proof material,  provided  said  wood  block  or  cushion 
which  is  to  allow  for  the  possible  lengthwise  expansion 
of  the  uprights  by  heat  does  not  exceed  in  thickness  one- 
tenth  of  an  inch  to  the  foot  of  the  height  of  said  uprights. 

The  tops  of  all  door  and  window  openings  in  such  par- 
titions shall  be  at  least  twelve  inches  below  the  ceiling 
line. 

In  all  fireproof  partitions,  other  than  when  made  of 
solid  brickwork,  the  openings  for  doors  and  windows  in 
same  shall  be  framed  on  both  sides  with  iron  studs  or  up- 
rights secured  at  top  and  bottom  to  the  floor  beams,  and 


14 


BUILDING  ORDINANCE 


with  like  iron  horizontals  between  the.  said  uprights 
for  the  window  openings  and  door  heads. 

In  all  fireproof  buildings,  other  than  stores,  ware- 
houses and  factories,  if  exceeding  three  stories  or  forty 
feet  in  height,  the  stair  halls  shall  be  inclosed  on  each 
story  with  fireproof  material,  same  as  required  for  eleva- 
tors, to  so  form  an  inclosure  the  floor  area  of  which  shall 
not  be  more  than  three  times  the  united  area  of  the  floor 
openings  for  the  elevators  and  stairs. 

All  buildings  in  the  City  of  Des  Moines  of  fireproof 
construction  shall  be  exempted  from  twenty  per  cent  of 
their  value  for  assessment  purposes  for  a period  of  five 
years  after  the  erection  thereof. 

Sec.  21.  In  all  fireproof  buildings  and  in  all  other 
buildings  of  three  or  more  stories  in  height,  all  windows 
in  alleys  or  elsewhere  within  thirty  feet  of  the  walls  of 
any  other  building,  or  within  thirty  feet  of  any  outside 
wall  of  same  building,  shall  be  made  of  metal  frames  and 
sash,  and  wire  glass. 

Sec.  22.  No  lighted  candle,  lamp,  or  any  other  open 
artificial  light  shall  be  used  in  any  stable,  building,  or  any 
other  place  where  straw,  hay,  hemp,  cotton,  flax,  shav- 
ings, oil  or  gasoline,  or  any  other  combustible  materials 
shall  be  stored. 

Sec.  23.  No  metal  pipe  for  any  stove,  fire  place,  boiler, 
or  other  heat  producing  apparatus  shall  be  put  in  or  used 
unless  it  is  separated  from  adjacent  wood  work  by  a 
space  of  at  least  twelve  inches.  All  such  pipes  over 
fifteen  feet  in  length  shall  be  safely  stayed  by  a wire  or 
metal  rod. 

Sec.  24.  No  person  shall  carry  fire  in  or  through  any 
lot  unless  the  same  be  placed  in  a covered  pan  or  vessel; 
and  no  person  shall  build  or  cause  to  have  built  a bonfire 
less  than  fifty  feet  from  any  building,  and  nowhere  within 
the  fire  limits. 

Sec.  25.  No  ashes  shall  be  kept  in  or  deposited  in  any 
part  of  the  fire  limits  of  the  City  of  Des  Moines  unless 
the  same  be  kept  or  deposited  in  a closed  iron  can  or 
vessel,  or  in  a brick  or  stone  ash-house  thoroughly  fire 
proof. 


CITY  OF  DES  MOINES 


15 


Sec.  26.  All  buildings  within  the  fire  limits  used  for 
hotels  and  factories  of  three  or  more  stories  shall  be 
equipped  with  a stand-pipe  and  hose  connection  to  reach 
any  part  of  the  said  floors. 

Sec.  27.  All  ordinances  and  parts  of  ordinances  in- 
consistent with  this  ordinance  are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  28.  This  ordinance  being  deemed  urgent  and 
necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  public  peace,  health 
and  safety,  shall  be  in  full  force  and  effect  from  and 
after  its  passage  and  publication,  as  provided  by  law. 

Passed  July  12,  1912. 

Signed  July  12,  1912. 

James  R.  Hanna,  Mayor. 

Attest : Horace  Susong,  City  Clerk. 

I,  Horace  Susong,  City  Clerk  of  the  City  of  Hes 
Moines,  hereby  certify  that  the  above  and  foregoing  is  a 
true  copy  of  an  ordinance  passed  by  the  City  Council 
of  said  City  at  a meeting  held  July  12, 1912,  signed  by  the 
Mayor  July  12, 1912,  duly  recorded  and  published  as  pro- 
vided by  law,  July  24, 1912. 

Horace  Susong,  City  Clerk. 


Register  and  Leader  Co.,  I>es  Moines 


